U.S. patent application number 10/527049 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-03 for protective helmet and relative method for its production.
Invention is credited to Cattaneo, Roberto.
Application Number | 20050241048 10/527049 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31986027 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050241048 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cattaneo, Roberto |
November 3, 2005 |
Protective helmet and relative method for its production
Abstract
Protective helmet (1) of the type comprising an outer rigid cap
(2) to which a shock-absorbing shell (3) made of expanded material
is internally fixed and an internal lining (5) for the comfort of
the user. The helmet (1) comprises at least one intermediate cap
(4) made of non-expanded material situated between the inside of
the shock-absorbing shell and the internal comfort lining.
Inventors: |
Cattaneo, Roberto; (Bergamo,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEDMAN & COSTIGAN P.C.
1185 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
10036
US
|
Family ID: |
31986027 |
Appl. No.: |
10/527049 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 11, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP03/10204 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/412 ;
2/424 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/125 20130101;
A42C 2/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/412 ;
002/424 |
International
Class: |
A42B 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 12, 2002 |
IT |
MI2002A001941 |
Claims
1. A protective helmet (1) of the type comprising an outer rigid
cap (2) to which a shock-absorbing shell (3) made of expanded
material is internally fixed, an internal lining (5) for the
comfort of the user, and comprises at least one intermediate cap
(4) made of non-expanded material situated between the inside of
said shock-absorbing shell (3) and said internal comfort lining (5)
wherein said at least one intermediate cap (4) comprises hooking
means (6) for fixing said internal lining (5).
2. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said hooking
means (6) are of the temporary type, for removably fixing said
internal lining (5).
3. The protective helmet according to claim 2, wherein said hooking
means (6) are selected from hooking slits, Velcro.RTM. strips,
pressure buttons, laces and rings, hooks.
4. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one intermediate cap (4) is made so as to include a
thermo-formable material.
5. The protective helmet according to claim 4, wherein said
intermediate cap (4) is made of a material selected from PET
(polyethylene terephthalate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate
glycol), polystyrene or PC (polycarbonate).
6. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said
intermediate cap (4) is made of fabric.
7. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said
intermediate cap (4) is made of acoustical material.
8. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one intermediate cap (4) is made of a high kinetic energy
absorbing material.
9. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said
intermediate cap (4) is shaped so as to have aeration channels
and/or connection holes between said internal lining (5) and said
shock-absorbing shell (3).
10. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the
internal surface of said intermediate cap (4) is a support for a
decoration.
11. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein said
intermediate cap (4) protrudes outside said external cap (2), to
form appendages of said protective helmet (1).
12. The cap according to claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing
shell (3) is made of expanded polystyrene and characterized in that
said shell is co-molded onto said intermediate cap (4).
13. The cap according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate cap (4)
is in the form of a film.
14. A method for fixing an internal lining (5) for the comfort of
the wearer inside a shock-absorbing shell (3) made of expanded
material of a protection helmet (1), the method comprising the
following phases: a. producing an intermediate cap (4) made of a
non-expanded material; b. fixing said intermediate cap (4) to the
internal surface of said shock-absorbing shell (3); c. attaching
said internal comfort lining (5) by hooking means (6) to the
internal surface of the intermediate cap (4).
15. The method according to claim 14, comprising the phase of
providing said internal surface of the intermediate cap (4) with
temporary hooking means (6) for said internal comfort lining (5),
before said phase for attaching the internal lining.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said intermediate cap
(4) is made of a thermo-formable material, comprising a shaping
phase with channels and/or holes, and/or decorating said
intermediate cap before said fixing phase of said intermediate cap
to the shock-absorbing shell.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said fixing phase of
the intermediate cap to the shock-absorbing shell comprises a
co-molding phase of said expanded material onto said intermediate
cap.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said fixing phase of
the intermediate cap to the shock-absorbing shell comprises a
co-molding phase of said expanded material onto said intermediate
cap.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a protective helmet, in
particular for use in sports such as motorcycling, skiing, cycling,
roller-ball skating, and other sports, of the type comprising an
outer cap made of a synthetic rigid material, an internal lining
for the comfort of the wearer and a shock-absorbing shell,
generally consisting of a cap made of expanded material, situated
between the external cap and the internal lining.
[0002] The production of helmets for motorcycling comprising a
series of overlapping layers made of different materials, each of
which having a specific function, is already known in the art. In
particular, modern designed helmets normally envisage the use of an
outer cap made of a synthetic rigid material, whose function is to
prevent the intrusion of foreign bodies, in which a shock-absorbing
shell is fixed, made of an expanded material and suitable for
absorbing the energy of a possible impact. Finally, there is also a
lining for the comfort of the user, internally fixed to the
shock-absorbing shell, whose function is to allow the helmet to
rest comfortably on the head of the wearer.
[0003] The internal lining, which does not necessarily extend for
the whole surface of the shock-absorbing shell, is generally a foam
(or expanded material) of a synthetic material and/or cotton velvet
and can be fixed to the shock-absorbing shell either irremovably by
means of glues or resins or detachably with hooking frames
previously attached to the shock-absorbing shell made of expanded
material, by means of gluing or insertion, and then sewn to the
comfort lining. It is not always easy to fix said comfort lining or
hooking frames to the shock-absorbing shell, due to the surface
heterogeneity and poor compactness of the synthetic expanded
materials.
[0004] Furthermore, in the case of detachable internal linings, the
substantial difficulty in fixing temporary hooking means, such as
Velcro.RTM. strips, or pressure buttons, or laces, to the shell
made of expanded material, for the internal comfort lining, makes
this possible removability complex and costly.
[0005] It is also costly and complex to cover the whole internal
surface of the shock-absorbing shell of expanded material and this
also produces aesthetically negative results.
[0006] Another disadvantage, in the case of a removable comfort
lining, is that the internal surface of the shock-absorbing shell
made of expanded material is difficult to wash, as it is delicate
and extremely porous.
[0007] With respect, on the other hand, to helmets with irremovable
linings, due to the solid adhesion of the internal lining to the
shock-absorbing shell, it is almost impossible to obtain an
efficient aeration flow between the wearer's head and the
surrounding environment, with the result that, even if aeration
channels or holes are envisaged in the shock-absorbing shell and
outer cap, the air flow inside the helmet is greatly hindered by
said comfort lining.
[0008] An objective of the present invention is to provide a
protective helmet, particularly suitable for motorcycling, or
skiing, or cycling, to be used with rollerballs or skates, and
various sporting activities in which high speed protection is
required, which does not have the drawbacks mentioned above.
[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
protective helmet of the type comprising an outer rigid cap, a
shock-absorbing shell and an internal comfort lining, in which the
latter can be easily removed and substituted.
[0010] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
protective helmet equipped with an internal surface for the hooking
of the comfort lining which also acts as a support for a possible
decoration.
[0011] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide
a protective helmet equipped with appendages, for example, with an
aerodynamic function or for the protection of the user, which is
easy to assemble.
[0012] The present invention also relates to a method for the
production of a helmet which satisfies the objectives defined
above.
[0013] These and other objectives are achieved by the protective
helmet according to the first independent claim and subsequent
dependent claims and by the method according to the fifteenth
independent claim and subsequent claims depending thereon.
[0014] The protective helmet according to the present invention
comprises an outer rigid cap to which a shock-absorbing shell made
of expanded material is internally fixed and an internal comfort
lining for the user, in addition to at least one intermediate cap
made of a non-expanded material situated between the inside of the
shock-absorbing shell and the internal comfort lining.
[0015] The affixing of an intermediate cap made of a non-expanded
material attached to the shock-absorbing shell and suitable for
acting as an interface between the latter and the internal comfort
lining, has the purpose of enabling the simple attachment, possibly
removable, of the comfort lining and at the same time allowing the
inside of the helmet to be easily shaped and/or decorated.
[0016] According to a preferred aspect of the present invention,
the intermediate cap is made of a thermo-formable material selected
from PET, PETG, polystyrene (polystyrene-EPS) and PC and is
equipped with means for the temporary hooking of the internal
comfort lining, such as hooking slits, Velcro.RTM. or clip-release
buttons. This allows the simple substitution of said comfort lining
and the use of possible visible surfaces of said intermediate cap
as supports for decorations. The decoration, according to a
particular aspect of the present invention, can be applied to the
intermediate cap by means of adhesive labels or it can be directly
printed on the intermediate cap, for example by means of screen
printing. In particular, it is possible to decorate the
intermediate cap when this, still in the state of a flat sheet, is
to be subsequently thermo-formed for coupling with the
shock-absorbing shell and with the comfort lining.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
intermediate cap is shaped so as to have aeration channels and/or
holes inside the helmet and it can extend outside the volume
delimited by the outer helmet, thus forming an appendage which can
have an aerodynamic function or coadjuvate and considerably improve
the aeration flow inside the helmet and also provide further
protection for the wearer.
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now
described hereunder, for purely illustrative and non-limiting
purposes, with the help of the enclosed figures, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a protective helmet
according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a partial view from below of the helmet of FIG. 1;
and
[0021] FIG. 3 is a block scheme of a method for the production of
the helmet according to an aspect of the present invention.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the helmet 1 according to
the present invention comprises an outer cap 2 made of a rigid
thermoplastic material or composite fibres (for example Kevlar or
aramidic fibres or glass fibres), to which a shock-absorbing shell
3 is internally attached, suitable for absorbing the kinetic energy
of a possible impact, and an internal comfort lining, or padding 5,
whose function is to make the use of the helmet 1 comfortable for
the wearer.
[0023] The shock-absorbing shell 3, according to the known art, is
made of a synthetic expanded material, such as for example
polystyrene (polystyrene-EPS), whereas the internal lining 5 can be
made of a plastic foam, or cotton velvet or any other soft material
which facilitates the use of the helmet 1. The outer cap 2, whose
purpose is to prevent the intrusion of foreign bodies inside the
helmet 1, is normally made of PETG (polyethylene terephthalate
glycol), PC (polycarbonate) or glass fibre.
[0024] The helmet 1 also comprises, according to the present
invention, an intermediate cap 4, made of a non-expanded material,
situated between the shock-absorbing shell 3 and the comfort lining
5, to act as an interface between these two elements of the helmet
1.
[0025] The purpose of said intermediate cap 4, which does not
necessarily extend for the whole internal surface of the shell 3
and which can be variably shaped and cut, is to favour the fixing,
possibly temporary, of the lining 5 inside the helmet 1, and also
to form a support for the production of a possible shaping inside
the helmet 1 and/or for the internal decoration of the helmet
itself 1.
[0026] The presence, in fact, of the intermediate cap 4 made of a
non-expanded material, such as for example PET, PETG, polystyrene
or PC, allows the producer to provide an optimal support for fixing
hooking means 6 for the lining 5, to the internal surface of the
intermediate cap itself 4 and consequently to the outer region of
the lining 5. In particular; the intermediate cap 4 allows the use
of temporary hooking means 6, such as for example hooking slits
produced in the intermediate cap itself 4, Velcro.RTM., hooks,
automatic pressure buttons (clips), or laces and rings, which
proves to be particularly advantageous when the internal comfort
lining 5 is intended to be made replaceable.
[0027] Furthermore, the possible rigidity and modeling simplicity
of the intermediate cap 4, if this is made of PET or PETG or
polystyrene or PC or any other thermo-formable plastic material,
allows the inner surface of the cap itself 4 to be easily shaped
and/or or decorated.
[0028] The intermediate cap 4 can also have the same function when
it is made of fabric or artificial leather and also, when the
thickness of the helmet 1 is to be reduced, when said cap is
produced with an extremely limited thickness, even in the form of a
film.
[0029] In particular embodiments of the cap 4, it is alternatively
or jointly possible to use acoustical materials or materials with
high absorption capacities of the kinetic energy of an impact or
multi-layer composite materials, in order to provide said
intermediate cap 4 with specific technical characteristics.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a partial plan view from below of a
helmet 1 equipped with an intermediate cap 4 and internal comfort
lining 5 which only partially extends within the internal surface
of the cap 4.
[0031] According to a particular aspect of the present invention,
the latter, conveniently made of a thermo-formable plastic
material, has (see also FIG. 1) channels 7, 7a, 7b and/or
pass-through holes (indicated as circles arranged along the
channels 7a, 7b) which, by joining the area inside the intermediate
cap 4 with the outer area 2 and surrounding environment, serve to
increase the aeration inside the helmet 1.
[0032] In an embodiment which is not shown, the internal surface of
the cap 4 can be possibly decorated to give the inside of the
helmet 1 the desired aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, the
intermediate cap 4 can be produced so as to extend outside the
region delimited by the outer cap 2, to act as a possible
aerodynamic appendage or element for conveying internal air flows,
or as a further protective element for the user.
[0033] With reference to FIG. 3, a method is now described for the
production of a helmet 1 according to a particular aspect of the
present invention.
[0034] In its most general form, the helmet 1 according to the
present invention, is produced by means of the following
phases:
[0035] producing an intermediate cap 4, made of a non-expanded
material (phase 101);
[0036] producing (phase 102) the outer cap 2 and shock-absorbing
shell 3 made of an expanded material, according to the known art,
in addition to an internal comfort lining 5 for the user;
[0037] fixing (phase 105) the intermediate cap 4 to the internal
surface of the shock-absorbing shell 3; and
[0038] attaching the internal lining 5 to the internal surface of
the intermediate cap 4 (phase 106).
[0039] It can be observed that, whereas the production of the outer
cap 2, the shell 3 and lining 5 is effected according to the known
art, the fixing of the intermediate cap 4 to the shock-absorbing
shell 3, according to a specific aspect of the present invention,
can be effected by gluing (phase 105 of FIG. 3) or with mechanical
fixing means, but it can also be effected by means of co-moulding
(or in-mould moulding--sintering) of the shell made of an expanded
material 3 on the intermediate cap 4.
[0040] According to this latter technique, after producing the
intermediate cap 4, for example made of PETG or PET or polystyrene
or PC, the granules of material to be expanded for forming the
shock-absorbing shell, for example polystyrene, are withheld in an
appropriate matrix above the cap 4 and are then expanded, by means
of compression and appropriate thermal treatment, to form the
shock-absorbing shell 3 firmly attached to the cap 4. At this
point, the cap 4 together with the shell 3 is fixed, for example by
insertion or by gluing, to the internal surface of the outer cap
2.
[0041] In the particular embodiment of the method according to the
invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the helmet 1 according to the
present invention is produced by means of the following phases in
succession:
[0042] production (phase 101) of the outer cap 2 and
shock-absorbing shell 3 made of an expanded material;
[0043] possible decoration (phase 104) of the internal surface of
the intermediate cap 4 to obtain the desired aesthetic effect
inside the cap 4 itself. In this embodiment of the method according
to the present invention, the decoration (for example by means of
printing) can be effected on the flat sheet (for example made of
PET, PETG, polystyrene or PC) which, after thermo-forming (phase
102) forms the intermediate cap 4;
[0044] production (phase 102), for example by the thermo-forming of
the above sheet made for example of PET, PETG, polystyrene or PC,
of the intermediate cap 4 and subsequent cutting for coupling with
the shock-absorbing shell 3 and with the comfort lining 5. During
the thermo-forming phase of the intermediate cap 4, it is possible
to produce holes and channels 7, 7a, 7b for the internal aeration
of the helmet;
[0045] affixing and/or production (phase 103) of suitable hooking
means 6 on the internal surface of the cap 4, for example
consisting of hooking slits, automatic buttons, strips of
Velcro.RTM., or clips;
[0046] gluing, or another permanent fixing technique, (phase 105)
of the intermediate cap 4 to the internal surface of the
shock-absorbing shell 3;
[0047] production of the comfort lining 5 equipped with hooking
means corresponding to the hooking means 6 situated on the cap 4
(phase 106);
[0048] hooking (phase 107) of the comfort lining 5 to the cap
4.
[0049] According to other technical solutions, not illustrated but
included in the protection scope of the present invention, the
fixing (phase 105) of the intermediate cap 4 to the internal
surface of the shock-absorbing shell 3 made of expanded material,
can also be effected by means of an adhesive tape, bi-adhesive tape
or by hooking of the mechanical type, in addition to the
abovementioned co-moulding technique.
[0050] Furthermore, the hooking means 6, as already described with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 can be temporary, such as strips of
Velcro.RTM. glued onto the internal surface of the intermediate cap
4 and on outer regions of the comfort lining 5, or slits situated
on the intermediate cap 4 with clip-release or insertion hooking
flaps on outer regions of the comfort lining 5, or with automatic
buttons or clips fixed to the intermediate cap 4 and comfort lining
5. The decoration phase 104 of the internal cap 4, moreover, can
also be effected after the thermo-forming of the cap 4 itself, for
example by means of printing or the gluing of adhesives. Similarly,
the modeling of aeration channels and holes can be effected,
according to other embodiments of the method according to the
present invention, at any moment of the production phase of the
intermediate cap 4.
[0051] The decoration 104 of the internal cap 4 can also be
effected, in the case of a cap made of a transparent material, on
the outermost surface of the cap 4 itself, or that in contact with
the shock-absorbing shell 3 or, as mentioned above, directly on the
internal surface in contact with the comfort lining 5.
[0052] From what is specified above, the advantages can be clearly
seen of the helmet 1 according to the present invention, or, thanks
to the presence of the intermediate cap 4 made of a non-expanded
material, the simple fixing of the comfort lining 5 to the inside
of the helmet 1, the possible easy modeling, for example by means
of channels and holes to allow an effective aeration and/or
decoration of the internal surface of the helmet 1 itself, and the
possibility of temporarily hooking the comfort lining 5, to enable
substitution, to the intermediate cap 4, as well as the use of the
cap 4 as a useful aerodynamic appendage or as an aid for the
aeration of the inside of the helmet, or as a further safety
element for the user.
* * * * *